Arizona's Two and a Half Sunset Route Tracks
The Phoenix Line - The Hyder Area
Part "F" (of A-F this Date, A-M Overall)
Not too far east thereafter is a water tower, and old building slabs.
Aerial of water tower site
In the above link, the water tower is barely visible between the two trees in the view's center.
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Parts G through M will be posted by 9 A.M. Tuesday, February 17, 2012.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
Vina Vista and the Milliken Ave. Flyover
Ontario, CA
Currently, the Milliken Ave. Flyover's east side downward sloping for the future Main 2 ends prematurely, as was seen in the following previously posted photo.
Last week an eastward looking photo was posted of some 'in the distance' activity west of I-15, in the Vina Vista area, where it had appeared that a new entrance signal had been erected. On Saturday, April 14, 2012, K.P. had a brief opportunity to try to find out what was happening in that area, and drove the freeways to get a high up view. Only the westbound I-10 transition to the southbound I-15 afforded a westward view down unto the track. Unfortunately, one occupant in a vehicle cannot drive and take pictures too, so just brief text will have to suffice to describe K.P.'s findings:
Looking down from that transition road, the glimpsed switch installation looked crude and not well ballasted, and thus is probably only a temporary switch installation.
On Guasti Rd. now east of Milliken Ave., an eastward, revealing telephoto was snapped.
That new switch installation has the purple disked "D" (derail) sign, and an automatic two-bulb absolute entrance signal.
But, most significant of all is the above photo's milepost sign -- M.P. 526 (which happens to be the official timetable location of Vina Vista). Milliken Ave. to the west is at M.P. 525.4. Half of the 1.5 mile long flyover is 0.75 miles, so the east end of the flyover ends at M.P. 526.15! Thus, the flyover will END near the new entrance signal's switch, and ALIGN with the industrial side track! There cannot be an alignment shift of the Main west of the industrial switch. Any alignment shifts would have to be EAST of I-15, and east of the two-track bridges! The significance of this is that there can NOT be a switching track anymore when the flyover is in operation, as the switching track is presently right next to the I-15 bridge's south side abutments.
In a related matter, in recent weeks dirt from West Colton's rebuilding of half of the Receiving Yard has been dumped at various nearby sites, including the north side of the Kaiser Yard's east side switching track (north of the single-track Main) between the Kaiser Yard and Cherry Ave. in Fontana (see lower right of the below previously posted west looking photo), in the M.P. 529 area.
After leaving the Milliken Ave. Flyover area, K.P. traveled east on I-10 and passed the site of the above photo's dirt dumping. It had all been smoothed out, and HAD a downward sloping northward away from the tracks. The dirt dumping there recently appears to only have been to shore up the Kaiser switching track, and NOT for a future main. So, in light of the present Milliken Ave. Flyover's Main 2 flyover construction alignment, AND no clear new main alignment in the Kaiser Yard area, we are back to square one and uncertainty as to where the new, future second main will be laid.
The Milliken Ave. Main 2 flyover is nearing completion. It will take a year to construct the Main 1 flyover. So, we are not likely to find answers as to how things track-wise will be anytime soon.
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On Tuesday, April 17, 2012, by 9 A.M., Parts G through M of "The Phoenix Line -- The Hyder Area" of the "Arizona's Two and a Half Sunset Route Tracks" series will be posted.
On Wednesday, April 18, 2012, by 9 A.M., a technical correction will be posted involving signaling at West Colton Yard and something that isn't there yet ...
Part "G" (of G-M this Date, A-M Overall)
The Ave. 68E grade crossing is next, at M.P. 814.1.
Ave. 68E is an old grade crossing, but the street name is not on any aerials that K.P. has viewed.
On the north side of the grade crossing track is a complex that looks new.
Looking west from Ave. 68E:
Here too, as seen above, the flangeways are full of accumulated sand.
Looking east:
Continued in Part H
Part "H" (of G-M this Date, A-M Overall)
The grade crossing box on the south east side of Ave. 68E:
But there IS more just east of Ave. 68E than what first meets the eye! A concrete base for a signal!
But the signal is NOT present! Nor was any train signals present in this whole stretch even though official timetables list this trackage as having Automatic Block Signals (ABS)!
Rusted rails, weed bushes, and very weathered grade crossing wood.
If it wasn't for the below photo K.P. would not have been able to identify the grade crossing on aerials, which do not presently show the nearby buildings. None of the several aerial websites checked identify this road as Ave. 68E! It just is a mysterious, nameless road. But, the railroad has known the road's name for years!
A word to the wise, if there happens to be any pranksters among us ... Never call the Hot Line 800 number with a false report! 800 number owners, because THEY pay for the calls to the number, are entitled to know WHO calls ...
Continued in Part I
Part "I" (of G-M this Date, A-M Overall)
An old style electrical box for a missing mast and signal: Even the ladder is gone, only the ladder's base is present (the concrete block on the ground just right of the electrical box). Across the track is an old phone box. The main box's housing looks a little tipsy as the rails are perfectly horizontal!
An odd colored, old style insulated joint: ONLY four bolts hold the entire joint together.
Remember this previously twice posted photo of insulated joints on 141 pounds per yard new rail in Casa Grande?
How times have changed: 4-bolt jointed rail to 8-bolt 141 pounds per yard continuous welded rail today!
Continued in Part J
Part "J" (of G-M this Date, A-M Overall)
We now arrive at the timetable location of Hyder.
It is at M.P. 821.
The marker sign makes for an interesting study: It bends on top and goes down the other side of the pole!
Continued in Part K
Part "K" of (G-M this Date, A-M Overall)
There is a 3688-foot siding at Hyder, a location that hasn't had two trains meet there in years! West to east views:
A heavy Hyder telephoto looking eastbound ... and some electrical boxes for unknown purposes:
Continued in Part L
Part "L" (of G-M this Date, A-M Overall)
East of Hyder, we now come to the end area of this Phoenix Line series, with this and one more post to go.
This is the South 571st Ave. / Aqua Caliente Rd. grade crossing:
Hyder Rd. (the cross road) parallels the tracks. View looks south on Aqua Caliente Rd.
Looking westbound:
Continued in Part M
Part "M" (of G-M this Date, A-M Overall)
An eastward view:
Dirt is over the ballast here too.
A telephoto looking eastward: Auto-rack cars are seen in storage right on the Main in the far background.
Auto-rack aerial
Seeing that Google Maps has a view of those auto-racks, they must have been there for a very long time.
So, this all is what the out-of-service Phoenix Line looks like today west of and in the general vicinity Hyder, AZ.
Thanks for the link ... That is about 3.2 miles of auto-racks.
Wonder if anyone still knows they are there..
Robert
Just a thought about the embargoed Phoenix line. Has the signal dept been cannibalizing parts. Hopefully no one has been stealing stuff.
Thx IGN
I'm sure copper wire in the middle of the desert should be safe ..
The grade crossing signals looked in good shape. Maybe they were using the parts to keep the other side of the line running.
Out in the wild lonely desert theft of a signal could easily occur with no one knowing for a long time. While I was a director of our transit system a rail line we purchased for light rail was out of service for about two years. during this time a signal and ladder were "liberated" and this was in a major metropolitan area. Some unethical rail fans (those who tarnish the rest of us) could had easily taken signals and other equipment.
A Technical Correction about Signaling at West Colton Yard
This concerns the Bloomington / Fontana area of the West Colton Classification Yard in Southern California.
PHOTO #1:
An eastward view of CP AL534 CEDAR: The background, then new turned aside but now in service signals. Note the lower heads have four bulbs.
Previously in this thread, it was projected that a westbound train would receive a yellow over yellow at CP AL534 CEDAR if a 30 M.P.H. crossover ahead at CP AL533 SIERRA was in reverse with a red over green, etc. It was theorized that a yellow over lunar at Cedar Avenue ....
PHOTO #2:
... would be displayed for a westbound red over yellow lineup over at Sierra (view looks east) ...
PHOTO #3:
... to go into the south side siding. The below view looks west, with the south side siding on the background left.
K.P. has received word that that is not quite correct. In turnout mode, a favorable signal at CP AL533 SIERRA, regardless if it is for a train to crossover or be routed to the south side siding, results in a yellow over yellow at CP AL534 CEDAR (first photo above)!
PHOTO #4:
So, why then do CP AL534 CEDAR's east side westbound signals have four-bulb lower heads, i.e., with lunar bulbs? (See Photo #1) West of Sierra the NOT LAID YET FOURTH TRACK (lower right in the eastward facing below photo) corresponding to the rightmost turned aside heads (upper right) on the signal bridge ...
... apparently will be an unwired track (except for a short approach circuit), with a red over flashing red (on the east side westbound signals - see Photo #2) to get into it. It is THAT red over flashing red possibility at Sierra that likely will result in a yellow over lunar at Cedar.
Suchlike signaling would completely conform to the present UP signaling arrangements.
JUST RECEIVED AND WATCHED TRAINS ULTIMATE RAILROAD DVD TH SUNSET ROUTE. COPYRIGHT WAS HIGHBAL L VIDEOS 2012, BUT ACTUAL FOOTAGE FROM SEEMS TO BE FROM PREVIOUS . RECORDING PRIOR TO 2005. THERE WERE NO LATE MODEL ENGINES,A LOT OF ENGINES IN RED/GRAY PAINT. NO SIGN OF DOUBLE TRACKING. COVERED NM AND AZ ONLY.
VIDEO FROM ABOUT 20 LOCATIONS FROM WEST OF EL PASO TO YUMA. ALMOST 2 HRS. GOOD QUALITY ENJOYABLE AND INFORMATIVE. STEVE L
That line of Auto Racks is amazing, at a rough guess there would be close to 250 auto racks there? Are they just surplus Tri Racks or older models that escaped the scappers torch?
James, Brisbane Australia
Modelling AT&SF in the 90s
Update as of Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Part I (of I-VIII)
The Colton Flyover
Colton, CA
A view from the southeast quadrant of the Colton Crossing area: A tall crane was active. The trackage on the right is UP's Sunset Route, the trackage on the left is BNSF's Transcon.
The crane was stabilizing something by the diamonds.
There was also nearby equipment, and a long wire-meshed structure laying down (across the photo's bottom).
Briefly file away a mental note about the crane and wire meshing, it will be brought up again shortly.
Continued in Part II
Part II (of I-VIII)
An overview with the Sunset Route's Colton Crossing east side westbound signals:
An eastward view from 3rd Street now: The tall crane had swung around and was facing the other way than previously.
This is a new view of a previously shown project sign: The sign had been hit by something and was a little lopsided.
Continued in Part III
Part III (of I-VIII)
A belted drilling device:
In a strange procedure, a wheeled dumping machine on the right had dumped something that flowed below ground level concerning another belted machine on the left.
Up on Ranco Ave. now, look east, it appears the dumping above was for forming a concrete mixture (see the gray mound just left of center).
Continued in Part IV
Part IV (of I-VIII)
An eastward overview from Rancho Ave.:
That laying down cylinder-like wire meshing with the crane's help was now erect (upper right).
Continued in Part V
Part V (of I-VIII)
That East Leg of the Wye new grading has a fine gray powder applied. Note on the lower right that the grading is lower than the original track.
An overview from Rancho Ave. looking west: Note the heavy grader driving up the new grading on the right.
There is another graded route that will replace Main 1's present route.
The present Main 1 is on the right and goes under the Palmdale Cutoff.
Continued in Part VI
Part VI (of I-VIII)
Some Odds and Ends
Funsville at the East Leg of the Wye?
In Part V, on the far right of the second photo, a piece of heavy earth moving equipment was seen traveling upgrade on the new East Leg of the Wye grading. That wasn't the end of it, however, and obviously there was some rationale for it ...
... but the equipment driver periodically seemed to be going around and around on a ride better than Disneyland!
Continued in Part VII
Part VII (of I-VIII)
Technical Variations on New Signals
Last year, on March 13, 2011, the following photo was taken adjacent the Casa Grande, AZ signal dept. yard, and subsequently posted in this thread.
Attached to and towards the bottoms of each of those above signal masts are small, oblong electrical boxes.
Very few new signal masts are laying around at the Colton Signal Dept. now. But, the ones that were seem to have a new type of small electrical box attached, and not silver as K.P. recollects in the past, but gray.
Maybe someone at the forum has a good mind, and will remember ...
Continued in Part VIII
Part VIII (of I-VIII)
The New CP Box for Guasti, CA
The new control point bungalow and other electric boxes at the Colton Signal Dept. waiting to be brought to their intended designated sites have thinned out a bit. For the first time, the new box for the future CP AL525 GUASTI (which will be at the west bottom area of the Milliken Ave. Flyover in Ontario), was able to be easily photographed from "K" Street in Colton.
That Guasti CP box is the only CP box for that area at the Colton Signal Dept. Recently in this thread, it was conjecture that there would be NO CP at Vina Vista, but rather, a double-crossover at the west end of the flyover / east end of the present Guasti siding.
Within six months we should know something about what is destined for that area.
K.P. has no lineups scheduled around the Sunset Route for at least two weeks, so things may be a little slow posting-wise for a bit.
K.P.,
Thank you again for sharing your photos and trips with us. I especially enjoyed the look at the out-of-service section of the Phoenix Line.
Reference the stored auto racks:
It's my understanding that TTX owns the flat cars and the individual railroads own the racks, so UP is having to pay TTX a rental fee for the flats whether they are in use or in storage, and another fee to each individual railroad that own the racks.
With the automatic equipment identification (AEI) tags that are on all rolling stock in North America, a computer somewhere should have a record showing they are in storage, and where. Perhaps that same computer even sends a monthly bill to Union Pacific based on the AEI tag data.
Enroute to see the return of the 3751 steam engine, I stopped by the PHIMF area to view construction progress. Starting from the west, the transmission tower work near the future new Peck Road bridging is still not complete! On the west side of Workman Mill Road a new signal bridge has appeared:
No support towers or permanent footings were seen, but I still believe it is part of a new CP to be built just east of WM Road:
The tall stakes on the right and the roadway center curb markings seem to indicate that the south crossing protection will be moved about eight feet back. Further east under the SR-60 freeway, the excavation for the new siding and tieback walls has begun:
More related pictures can be seen in the same Flickr photostream.
Links to my Google Maps ---> Sunset Route overview, SoCal metro, Yuma sub, Gila sub, SR east of Tucson, BNSF Northern Transcon and Southern Transcon *** Why you should support Ukraine! ***
mvs K.P., Thank you again for sharing your photos and trips with us. I especially enjoyed the look at the out-of-service section of the Phoenix Line.
Ditto to mvs's comments.
And I must agree that the Phoenix Line certainly doesn't look like the former route of Amtrak #1 & #2.
But I'm just glad that this line hasn't been torn out. If UP doesn't want to run it at present, that's UP's choice, of course. But it's hard to believe that there wouldn't eventually be good use for a more direct rail route between the West Coast and a population center as big (and growing) as metropolitan Phoenix.
I just checked my old Rand McNally Railroad Atlas and it's 425 miles between Los Angeles and Phoenix and comparable to Chicago - Twin Cities. Between Los Angeles to Phoenix suburban stops, there's a lot of desert - aptly described as "flyover" country. 79 mph Amtrak would barely keep up with traffic on I-10, except maybe around Los Angeles and Phoenix.
Unless the cost of fuel keeps going up; I don't see much of a market or need for more than a couple round trips, even if extended to Tuscon which would bring the distance to 546 miles. A train might make the run in 10 hours.
Any more discussion probably should go to a separate thread.
There is considerable upgrading in progress on the west side of Phoenix into the far suburbs. It's a growing area of warehousing and distribution centers. There is also a large grain / feed facility under construction in the Buckeye area. Besides tie replacement and grade crossing / culvert upgrades, a new yard is under consideration. Commuter rail along the route has also been discussed, but is on hold due to the economy--a nice idea, but no money is available for nice ideas at present.
I tend to believe that Amtrak will return "someday," but not soon.
John Timm
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